Chapter 27: The Revenge of Hannover 96 Is Coming!

"Beautiful! Just like that!"

On the Schalke 04 training pitch the following day, Coach Magath finally applauded his new tactical setup with satisfaction after seeing the team successfully execute a play for the third time: a sudden retreat to carry the ball forward, followed by a precise pass to Huntelaar, who finished the move with a goal.

"Boss, this new approach of yours is absolutely brilliant!"

Seeing how satisfied the head coach was, Milnor, who had been watching from the sidelines, naturally chimed in with praise.

"Hmm, it is indeed decent, though the defense on Hao's side remains too vulnerable."

"Well, there's no helping it. Uchida still needs another month to recover, so we have to rely on Hao for now. But to be honest, I think even when Uchida returns, Hao could still play as a wide midfielder. After all, his chemistry with Lin is simply telepathic!"

Atsuto Uchida returning?

In terms of pure defensive ability, even Magath had to admit that Hao Junmin was not on the same level as the Japanese fullback. However, just as Milnor said, the synergy between Lin Hao and Hao Junmin was undeniable. In the scrimmage just now, Lin Hao seemed to sense Hao Junmin’s position without even needing to look.

Well, what Magath didn't know was the reason why the chemistry between Lin Hao and his compatriot had become so astonishing that even a veteran manager like him was left stunned.

It was because Lin Hao had been testing his legendary skill: "Perfect Partner."

To be fair, Lin Hao initially thought the skill might be mediocre, but the reality was staggering. In just 45 minutes of the training match, Team A had hammered seven goals into Team B’s net. Lin Hao himself had received four crosses and scored two headers, both provided by Hao Junmin.

A 5% goal-scoring bonus didn't sound like much, but when the baseline probability of scoring was already around 50%, adding that 5%... the effect was explosive.

After this training session, Lin Hao made up his mind. Instead of using "Perfect Partner" on Raúl or Huntelaar to boost their stats, he would focus it on Hao Junmin. Since his "Brother San" was specialized in crossing, adding a 5% bonus to those deliveries was essentially the most efficient way to farm his own goal-scoring stats.

***

"Lin! Your passing today was amazing!"

The training match concluded. Huntelaar, having scored three goals, expressed his gratitude to Lin Hao with excitement. Meanwhile, Hao Junmin, who had delivered several perfect crosses from the flank, looked genuinely puzzled.

"Lin, I... I..." He struggled to find the words.

"What is it?"

"Lin, I feel like I've suddenly had an epiphany."

"Oh?"

"You wouldn't believe it. During the match today, I felt like I didn't even need to look for your position—I just instinctively knew where you were going to run. I’d just send the ball, and it would land right on your head every time."

*Sigh.*

Watching his "Brother San" attribute this to an epiphany after being tethered by the "Perfect Partner" skill, Lin Hao could only smirk to himself.

*Damn, an epiphany? That’s me hacking the game through you!*

"Forget it. Lin, how are things going with that Swedish girl? Man, I’m so unlucky, why did they have to assign me the one with the dark skin?"

"Hey! Brother Hao, you... I’m going to tell your wife about this!"

"Don't! Absolutely not! You’re not reporting me, you’re killing me! I deleted that woman's number as soon as I got back yesterday! If your sister-in-law finds out, I’ll be skinned alive!"

***

Three days passed in a flash.

September 1, 2010.

The second round of the Bundesliga was less than a day away. At 10:00 AM, the bus carrying the entire Schalke 04 squad slowly departed from the club's gates. Their destination was Lower Saxony, home of their second-round opponents, Hannover 96.

At the same time the Schalke bus set off, the head coach of Hannover 96 finally finalized his starting eleven inside the club’s headquarters.

"Boss, are you sure about playing five in midfield?"

Seeing his manager stubbornly abandoning the 4-4-2 formation that Hannover 96 had relied on for the past two seasons, assistant coach Stari tried to persuade him with some concern.

"A five-man midfield is essential. We’ve studied Schalke’s last two matches. Don't you see that Schalke is different now? I know Schalke 04 better than anyone!"

Indeed, as Mirko Slomka, born in 1967, said, he knew the club inside and out. After all, he had been their head coach just a year ago. In January 2006, after Ralf Rangnick was dismissed, Slomka took the reins.

The young Mirko Slomka did not disappoint the fans. In the 2006-2007 season, he led the team to a Bundesliga runner-up finish. In the 2007-2008 season, he guided them through the Champions League group stage for the first time, eliminating Porto on penalties to reach the quarterfinals.

At that time, Mirko Slomka was at the peak of his career, with praise following him everywhere. However, following a humiliating 1-5 defeat to Werder Bremen, he was unceremoniously sacked.

Slomka was furious, feeling that Schalke 04 had been cold-blooded, but such is the cruelty of professional football. Fortunately, he soon found a new job at Hannover 96. The club, which was languishing at the bottom of the table at the time, signed him in January, and he once again proved his worth by miraculously leading them to safety in the final round of that season.

The praise returned, yet Slomka’s resentment toward Schalke 04 never faded.

Finally, the day he had been waiting for arrived. To prove to the entire Schalke board that letting him go was a massive mistake, Slomka had spent five sleepless days studying their recent games. He had figured out why that "damned Magath" had managed those miraculous second-half turnarounds, and he had identified that mysterious new 23-year-old player.

That was why he had abandoned his preferred 4-4-2 for a midfield-heavy 4-5-1. With two defensive workhorses in a diamond formation, this was his secret weapon against Schalke. In Slomka’s view, since Schalke lacked powerful aerial threats and traditional wingers, neutralizing their midfield and the deep-lying playmaker role of that number 23 would leave them toothless—no matter how formidable Raúl might be.

Magath would face a crushing defeat at his Lower Saxony Stadium. To defeat, or even rout, Schalke 04—that was Mirko Slomka’s only desire.